--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Ottoman Turks were about to capture…" description: "\"“The Ottoman Turks were about to capture Constantinople, unleashing on Italy a migration of fleeing scholars with bundles of manuscripts containing the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/walter-isaacson-384_ancient-wisdom_the-ottoman-turks-were-about-to-capture_221847.png" --- # The Ottoman Turks were about to capture Constantinople… ![“The Ottoman Turks were about to capture Constantinople, unleashing on Italy a migration of fleeing scholars with bundles of manuscripts containing the ancient wisdom of Euclid, Ptolemy, Plato, and Aristotle.” quote by Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/walter-isaacson-384_ancient-wisdom_the-ottoman-turks-were-about-to-capture_221847.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/walter-isaacson-384_ancient-wisdom_the-ottoman-turks-were-about-to-capture_221847.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/walter-isaacson-384_ancient-wisdom_the-ottoman-turks-were-about-to-capture_221847.png) > ““The Ottoman Turks were about to capture Constantinople, unleashing on Italy a migration of fleeing scholars with bundles of manuscripts containing the ancient wisdom of Euclid, Ptolemy, Plato, and Aristotle.”” [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The fall of Constantinople sparked a mass exodus of scholars, bringing classical knowledge to Italy and igniting the Renaissance. **In simple terms:** Scholars fled with ancient texts, sparking a cultural rebirth in Italy. Key Takeaway Preserve and share knowledge to spark innovation. Themes history knowledge transfer Renaissance Mood inspired reflective Type historical educational When to use this quote - academic research - museum curation - education reform - digital archiving Key Concepts cultural diffusion intellectual migration Questions to Reflect On - How does the movement of ideas shape societies? - What modern migrations of knowledge are occurring? A Different Perspective Complex political upheavals can also cause loss of knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-wisdom/) [Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constantinople/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Turks have long admired the sultan, Mehmet II, for his military triumphs, especially his capture of Constantinople, now known as Istanbul, in 1453.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/turks-have-long-admired-the-sultan-mehmet-ii-for-his-military/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [“Constantinople had been changing for sometime before the Young Turks got hold of it. It would continue to change long after they had gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-emmerson/constantinople-had-been-changing-for-sometime-before-the-young-turks/) [Charles Emmerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-emmerson/) > [“For me, Shambhala, you see, turned out to be not a goal but an absence. Not the discovery of a place but the act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/for-me-shambhala-you-see-turned-out-to-be-not-a-goal-but-an-absence/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [In Constantinople, more Christians were slaughtered by Christians in the years 342-343 than by all the persecutions by pagans in the history of Rome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/in-constantinople-more-christians-were-slaughtered-by-christians-in/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Since the building of Constantinople, and the removal of the seat of government to that city, no political quarrel separated Rome from Egypt. Pagan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-sharpe/since-the-building-of-constantinople-and-the-removal-of-the-seat-of/) Samuel Sharpe > [Seldom can two such epoch-making events have occurred in successive years as happened then. In 1453 the Turks stormed Constantinople and finally destroyed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-g-kenyon/seldom-can-two-such-epoch-making-events-have-occurred-in-successive/) [Frederic G. Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-g-kenyon/) > [Infidel: In New York, one who does not believe in the Christian religion; in Constantinople, one who does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/infidel-in-new-york-one-who-does-not-believe-in-the-christian/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Environment is a sculptor - a painter. If we had been born in Constantinople, then most of us would have said: 'There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/environment-is-a-sculptor-a-painter-if-we-had-been-born-in/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“I’m as constant as Constantinople. Now that’s some Istanbul shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-m-as-constant-as-constantinople-now-that-s-some-istanbul-shit/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [A street in Constantinople is a picture which one ought to see once-not oftener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-street-in-constantinople-is-a-picture-which-one-ought-to-see-once/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The pastoral labours of the archbishop of Constantinople provoked and gradually united against him two sorts of enemies; the aspiring clergy, who envied his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-pastoral-labours-of-the-archbishop-of-constantinople-provoked-and/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [In all times and in all places--in Constantinople, northwestern Zambia, Victorian England, Sparta, Arabia, . . . medieval France,Babylonia, . . . Carthage, Mahenjo-Daro,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-j-kaplan/in-all-times-and-in-all-places-in-constantinople-northwestern-zambia/) [Louise J. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-j-kaplan/) > [The Government should take a firm, bold line. This delay - this uncertainty, by which, abroad, we are losing our prestige and our position,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-victoria/the-government-should-take-a-firm-bold-line-this-delay-this/) [Queen Victoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-victoria/) > [Constantinople was the principal seat and fortress of Arianism; and, in a long interval of forty years, the faith of the princes and prelates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/constantinople-was-the-principal-seat-and-fortress-of-arianism-and-in/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) ## More by Walter Isaacson > [“he never finished any of the works he began because, so sublime was his idea of art, he saw faults even in the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/he-never-finished-any-of-the-works-he-began-because-so-sublime-was/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [He had the attitude that he could do anything, and therefore so can you. He put his life in my hands. So that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/he-had-the-attitude-that-he-could-do-anything-and-therefore-so-can/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [But the point is to get a whole new generation of people and people in general more re-engaged in news, and this has happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/but-the-point-is-to-get-a-whole-new-generation-of-people-and-people/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“There was never a good knife made of bad steel ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-never-a-good-knife-made-of-bad-steel/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Jobs's intensity was also evident in his ability to focus. 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BILL ATKINSON. Early Apple employee, developed graphics for the Macintosh. CHRISANN BRENNAN. Jobs’s girlfriend at Homestead High,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/in-1996-bought-next-bringing-jobs-back-bill-atkinson-early-apple/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“The last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-last-time-there-was-this-much-excitement-about-a-tablet-it-had/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/if-you-want-to-live-your-life-in-a-creative-way-as-an-artist-you-have/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“There was a key lesson for innovation: Understand which industries are symbiotic so that you can capitalize on how they will spur each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-a-key-lesson-for-innovation-understand-which-industries-are/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“CEO Gil Amelio stumbled. Ellison may have been baffled when Jobs insisted that he was not motivated by money, but it was partly true.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/ceo-gil-amelio-stumbled-ellison-may-have-been-baffled-when-jobs/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Once a year Jobs took his most valuable employees on a retreat, which he called " The Top 100." They were picked based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/once-a-year-jobs-took-his-most-valuable-employees-on-a-retreat-which/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“An object will display the greatest difference of light and shade when it is seen in the strongest light. . . . But this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/an-object-will-display-the-greatest-difference-of-light-and-shade/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) [Explore all 593 Walter Isaacson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## More Ancient wisdom quotes > [“You can become even a co-creator of this universe... an assurance coming from the Ancient Wisdom; provided you bear an appropriate WILL...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-kumar/you-can-become-even-a-co-creator-of-this-universe-an-assurance-coming/) [Dinesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-kumar/) > [“We know the value of the things for which we suffer. In this modern day and age, things and people are not actually losing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/we-know-the-value-of-the-things-for-which-we-suffer-in-this-modern/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“The Bible frequently uses symmetries and inversions. By such comparisons (parallels and contrasts) the unique aspects of reality begin to emerge. Comparing two objects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-zehabe/the-bible-frequently-uses-symmetries-and-inversions-by-such/) [Michael Ben Zehabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ben-zehabe/) > [“Ancient wisdom did not disappear. We simply stopped knowing how to listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriela-jurosz-landa/ancient-wisdom-did-not-disappear-we-simply-stopped-knowing-how-to/) Gabriela Jurosz-Landa > [“Sometimes I think I live in a gap between two worlds, one world that I have to wake up to, be adherent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riitta-klint/sometimes-i-think-i-live-in-a-gap-between-two-worlds-one-world-that-i/) [Riitta Klint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riitta-klint/) > [It is true that neither the ancient wisdoms nor the modern sciences are complete in themselves. They do not stand alone. They call for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-true-that-neither-the-ancient-wisdoms-nor-the-modern-sciences/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Animals are not only beholders of great beauty, but they are also beholders of ancient wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-friedenfeld/animals-are-not-only-beholders-of-great-beauty-but-they-are-also/) [Molly Friedenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-friedenfeld/) > [Modern physics is describing what the ancient wisdom keepers of the Americas have long known. These shamans, known as 'the Earthkeepers,' say that we’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/modern-physics-is-describing-what-the-ancient-wisdom-keepers-of-the/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [I'll suggest that the happiness hypothesis offered by Buddha and the Stoics should be amended: Happiness comes from within, and happiness comes from without.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-ll-suggest-that-the-happiness-hypothesis-offered-by-buddha-and-the/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [There is no kind of framework within which we can find consciousness in the plural; this is simply something we construct because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/there-is-no-kind-of-framework-within-which-we-can-find-consciousness/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [“I will purge my mind of the airy claims of church and state, and observe the ancient wisdom of tribesman and peasant, who understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/i-will-purge-my-mind-of-the-airy-claims-of-church-and-state-and/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“The ancient wisdom of the masters says that even a mighty oak was once a nut like you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-brown/the-ancient-wisdom-of-the-masters-says-that-even-a-mighty-oak-was/) Mark Brown > [“Adam was told to name the animals. 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